Young children were exposed to high levels of methamphetamine in a Berlin home where adults were operating a "one-pot" meth cooking operation, according to police.
Four people have been charged with various drug offenses, including possession of methamphetamine: Russell Barton, 32, of Fond du Lac, Shawn Ellis, 43, of Berlin, Jennie Hetchler, 30, of Berlin and Shannon McFarlin, 32, of Ripon.
Ellis and Hetchler also face charges of manufacturing meth, and Hetchler faces two counts of physical abuse of a child.
Berlin Police discovered a meth cooking operation in town after a traffic stop just before 2 a.m. on June 10. Police pulled over a driver for not wearing a seatbelt.
The officer noticed the driver was nervous with a sweaty, shiny face and shaky hands. A K-9 officer search the car and found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Investigators and officers were then led to a home at 135 S. Swetting Street where they found a "one-pot" meth cooking operation, along with paraphernalia used to make meth.
During the investigation, officers learned that young children lived in the home.
The children were taken to a hospital where tests revealed they were exposed to high levels of meth.
The adults living in the home were first arrested on probation and parole violations, but have since been charged with a variety of drug-related offenses, including possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine paraphernalia, maintaining a drug trafficking place, and child abuse.
